LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 

Chap Copyrio-ht No. 



8]ielf 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



A ROYAL JOURNEY 



BY 

MRS. LUCY BRONSON DUDLEY, M.S. 

AUTHOR OF " LETTERS TO RUTH," " SUMMER TRAVEL," " TRANSLATIONS 

FROM FRENCH AND GERMAN," " THE FLORA OF 

SOME MOUNTAINS," ETC. 



NEW YORK 
1901 



Library of ConG?rer,Q 

Iwo Copies Received i 
JAN 36 1901 

^ Copyright entry 



Ne- 



SECOND COPY 



Copyright, 1901, by 
MRS. LUCY BRONSON DUDLEY, M.S. 






F. H. Gilson Company 
Printers and Bookbinders 
Boston, Mass., U.S.A. 



THIS BOOK OF ROYAL IMPRESSIONS IS 

2)eOfcateO 

TO MY MOTHER AT HOME, 

MRS. RUTH L. RANNEY BRONSON ; 

ALSO, TO MY HUSBAND, 

P. H. DUDLEY, C. E., Ph. D. 

A REPORTER AND DELEGATE TO THE 

INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY CONGRESS IN PARIS, 1900, 

BY THE AUTHOR, 

MRS. LUCY BRONSON DUDLEY, 

THE TWELFTH OF DECEMBER, NINETEEN HUNDRED. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER PAGE 

I. Outward Bound 1 

II. The Realm of Kings and Queens .... 4 

The Great City — London 7 

III. The Land of the Battle Royal of Water- 

loo 10 

The City of Docks — Antwerp 14 

IV. The Country of Regal Mountains ... 17 

V. The Kingdom of Princely Cathedrals . . 19 

Florence 21 

The Capital of Italy 25 

The City without Inhabitants ....'. 29 

The City of the Level of the Sea .... 31 

VI. The Domain of the Royal Roads .... 34 

In Cloud Land 36 

Around the Ring 42 

VII. The Monarchy of the Great Peter and 

Catherine 43 

The City of the Double-Headed Eagle ... 45 

Peterhof , a Fantasia of Water 62 

y 



Vi CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER PAGE 

VIII. The Empire of the Imperial Army ... 65 

The Cathedralless City 67 

IX. The Nation of the Royal Republic ... 73 

Paris the City of the Gilded Dome .... 73 
The International Railway Congress, Sixth 

Session 78 

Below the Madding Crowd 80 

Chantilly 81 

X. Homeward Bound 86 



My Dear Ruth, — 

It has been a third time my pleasure to mail my 
daily letter to you from the ocean and many of the 
realms of royalty. It was all so regal that we might 
have been a king and queen from our royal republic, 
traveling, as we did, first-class. 

These recorded recollections are the result of passing 
the jubilee year, and an inherited taste for reading and 
study, with years of travel, and a trip in the tropics. 

I hope you and all who may read of these events, 
which are to me as the voice of Divinity, may enjoy the 
sparkle of the royal gems of these memories. 

Psalms, 89th Chapter, 27th Verse. 

St. Lucy's Day, New York, 1900, 



A EOTAL JOUEB"ET. 



CHAPTER I. 

OUTWAED BOUND. 

New York, Wednesday, the 11th of July, 1900. 

The ship left the dock at ten a.m., leaving a 
crowd of people waving and cheering, laughing 
and crying. We did not take the tide at its 
flood, but waited for it. Ships have an advan- 
tage over persons, for they can cross a bar 
when it is desired, and not when they must, 
but both are alike in being under orders. 

Among the passengers are conducted people, 
that luxury of travel, but like machine-made 
affairs, personality is lacking. Also a large 
party of Endeavorers, who belong to the class 
of those who desire to do their duty. How for- 
tunate are those who can do their work without 
endeavoring ! 

The Gulf Stream, beneficent as it is, gave us 
hot weather, — just as unbearable as our fine 
1 



2 A BOYAL JOURNEY. 

young soldiers are enduring and suffering in 
the Philippines, but without any of the com- 
forts of first-class travel or hope of cool waves. 
The fog-horns blow at intervals, and the color of 
the water has changed from blue to green. Ju- 
piter is evening star, and the passage is smooth. 

Passengers read, sleep, play games, visit, 
promenade, and spark — the last is amusing. 
The inevitable concert is given, and per- 
haps the usual whale is seen, also porpoises 
and phosphorescent light. The days are both 
long and short. Bets on distance the most 
exciting event. Fog seemingly delayed, and 
estimates went below four hundred. 1 noted 
the revolutions of the engines, and thought the 
momentum of the ship would not be lessened 
much, as proved to be the case. The beauty 
and antiquity of the Liturgy were appreciated on 
Sunday, when the Purser read the service, and 
nearly all the passengers joined in responses. 

The last day at sea, July 18th, should have 
been passed in packing, but there are always 
foolish virgins as well as wise, so that at night 
there was much running to and fro and chatter. 
There was a glory however, that can never 
fade in the memory of those who saw it, — a red 
sun, setting into the ocean, thinly veiled by a 



OUTWARD BOUND. 3 

purple cloud, and illuminating in gold the rip- 
pling waves of the sea. Mine eyes have seen 
the radiance of sun, clouds, sky, and water, equal 
to any of the visions of the prophets. And 
after that the moon rose, yellow, a crescent, 
and silvered the waves with quiet beauty after 
the brilliancy of the setting sun. Jupiter shone 
with steady light, and the heavens and earth 
met in transcendent loveliness. 

A compiled lecture on Italy was given — very 
good, but lacking the spirit of its history to 
those who had been there. How soon one can 
tell the feeling, and lack of it especially, of 
those whose eye has not seen. The descrip- 
tions in text^books of science, biology, botany, 
etc., by those who have not visited the coun- 
tries of the nature they describe, are apparent 
to all who have had the real vision. 

What it is to walk off from a ship, to those 
who have only seen water, and then more water, 
felt the constant pulsations of the conserved 
energy of the carboniferous age, been shelved 
at night, blown around the deck, — not to men- 
tion mal de mer^ — can only be appreciated down 
to the spring of the feet until it has all been 
endured. And here ends the lesson of the sea 
voyage from New York to Southampton. 



A BOYAL JOVRNEY. 



CHAPTER II. 

THE REALM OF KINGS AND QUEENS. 

Southampton, Thursday, the 19th of July. 

The custom house is passed without terror, 
a half-dozen papers are bought, and we step 
into a first-class compartment of a train, and 
start for a railroad ride through miles of gar- 
dens. The odor of new-mown hay, the waving 
grain, the shimmering leaves of the oaks, elms, 
birches, and pines, with the flowers, poppies, 
epilobium, privet, and wild flowers of the 
season — all gratify the senses, and thanksgiv- 
ing is offered. 

London is in a hot wave, but even that is 
grateful after winds and waves of a journey 
across the Atlantic. I took a carriage-ride to 
Regent's Park, with its rows of elegant man- 
sions on one side, the homes of the rich in 
money. The Zoological and Botanical Gardens 
are interesting and instructive, and gratify the 
senses as well as educate in those specialties. 
A domestic scene in one shady place, of small 



THE REALM OF KINGS AND QUEENS. 5 

tables under fancy umbrellas, and surrounded 
by a group enjoying the cheering cup. Such 
views suggest some social and pleasant events 
that are better than gifts, for there is no 
present equal to a delightful and agreeable 
memory. 

In Hyde Park there is everything for the 
weary, as many were sleeping under the trees, 
and also for those who could admire the beauty 
of art and nature. I entered by the Victoria 
gate, and left by the Alexandra. The custom 
in republics is better in naming objects of in- 
terest by calling them after some genius. The 
royal family is in history without volition, but 
inventors have worked. 

The drive around the palaces of Buckingham, 
Marlborough, and St. James was interesting, for 
it showed the power of a family and heredity 
said to be set apart and above by the grace of 
God. From there to the Tower are books of 
history, filled with cruelty and death. The 
world congratulates itself on emerging from the 
Dark Ages, and deplores the inhumanity of 
blood-stained years. This advance in wisdom 
is like the reported walk of the crab family, 
with three unnecessary wars among the nations 
at this time. As much land as there is on the 



6 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

earth, it seems incredible that governments 
must fight. How much better it would be to 
use the men and money in building railroads 
for commerce, and schoolhouses for education, 
to train instead of shooting and killing those 
who are weaker, and whose burdens ought to 
be lightened by those who are fortunate enough 
to be stronger ! 

One exception to names of royalty is that of 
Stephenson, whose statue adorns a railroad sta- 
tion. He only lived a half-century; but his 
work, like the ripples of water, has enlarged 
until it has included the world. An overhang- 
ing brow, a prominent nose and chin, — he 
stands to welcome the masses and classes to 
enjoy the comfort and luxury of the work of 
his brain, a ride in a railway train. 

A lesson to us in the preservation of our 
forests is seen in the works of a railroad com- 
pany, to preserve their ties, the process having 
been in use for a half-century. Red Baltic 
pine is treated, after being stacked about six 
months; the bath lasts nearly five hours, and 
the ties absorb about three gallons of the prepa- 
rations of creosote. The sap wood absorbs the 
principal amount, the heart wood only at the 
ends ; the center does not absorb, and therefore 



THE REALM OF KINGS AND QUEENS. 7 

any fungi therein will not be destroyed, and 
such ties will not last as long as if thoroughly 
treated, or unaffected by mycelium. In one 
place could be seen telegraph poles being grown, 
exactly as an agricultural crop, — an object 
lesson in forestry. 

THE GREAT CITY. 

London, the £ 0th of July . 

My ride to-day was out to Hammersmith, 
along the Piccadilly, past the Green Park, the 
houses of the Dukes of Wellington and Port- 
land. Equestrians in Hyde Park show that 
the cycle and automobile have not entirely 
superseded our best animal friend, the horse, 
who lends himself to our convenience. Many 
people are like family horses, — go slow or fast 
as desired ; serve also by standing and waiting ; 
turned out to grass when not needed ; and are 
altogether useful, and as a rule, unappreciated 
until it is found impossible to fill their places. 

The houses are generally decorated with 
vines and flowers, which make them beautiful. 
One of the elm trees in Hyde Park had two 
large fungi (^Agaricus Ulmarius, Bull), six 
inches in width, and its mycelium has filled the 
trunk and branches of that tree, until the time 
will come when it will bloom no more, 



8 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

Saturday^ the 21st of July. 

Having tendencies toward civil engineering 
and science, we went down the subway, lined 
with white tiles, walked quite a distance, then 
more steps, and in the dim light saw the train 
to take us by electricity under the river Thames. 
The tunnel is circular, and the cars are the same 
shape, and dimly lighted. There is a conduc- 
tor, and like the elevated railroad, there are two 
double seats in the center, and long seats from 
them to the doors, with straps, which in this 
trip were not needed. We were six minutes in 
riding to Waterloo Station, and returned to the 
Mansion House by carriage. 

Since the members of the Wales family have 
dined at a cheap restaurant, conducted for the 
benefit of the poor in purse, it is one of the 
things to do, and we did it. A worthy object, 
and good food, comparatively, not appetizing, 
however, but very cheap, and to many it is 
probably richness. It is a common saying that 
the best way to see London is from the top of 
an omnibus, and in this high and exalted sta- 
tion we rode through Cheapside, Regent Street, 
Oxford Street, past the Marble Arch and be- 
yond, seeing the homes of the rich and power- 
ful, large trees, notably the sycamore, which 



TRE REALM OF KINGS AND QUEENS. 9 

thrives well, brilliant colored flowers, and an 
altogether delightful ride in every way. Charity 
covers much ground here, for hospitals of all 
kinds are often seen. The good men and women 
do lives after them, and the patronage of royalty 
and nobility is nobly dispensed by these benefi- 
cent charities. 

The Sixth Sunday after Trinity in West- 
minster Abbey was a memorable day, with a 
good sermon by a College President on the 
needs of the clergy. The details of their work 
seemed impossible to do, only as one would 
think of that accomplished by men of business, 
railway officials, and all those gifted with the 
faculty of management. The sermon was from 
the Hebrew dramatist, where he relates not 
only what he did, but " searched " for it, a suit- 
able description of the message of charity in 
this historic tomb, where dead hands can no 
longer bless, but where the complex and deli- 
cate engines of their minds still rule and govern. 
After the service we walked slowly through the 
cloisters, and went into St. James Park on the 
Birdcage Walk, crossed the bridge, saw the 
inherited residences of the Queen and members 
of her family, and ascended Constitution Hill, 
from the quiet park to the noise of Piccadilly. 



10 A BOYAL JOURNEY, 



CHAPTER III. 

THE LAND OF THE BATTLE EOYAL OF 
WATERLOO. 

"THE LITTLE PARIS." 

Monday, the 23d of July. 

We left our hotel and drove to Charing 
Cross Station, where even first-class gentlemen 
are not allowed to enter the room for first-class 
ladies. The ride to Dover commences by back- 
ing over the Thames and then into the country 
fields. There are many tunnels, suggesting the 
remark of a Scotchman who thought a railroad 
could not be built in Illinois, for instance, 
because there was no place for tunnels. This 
is offset by an engineer who put in a double 
reverse curve on a prairie because it was so 
easy to do and showed his skill. 

In the chalk cliffs of Dover were little boat- 
houses dug out, convenient of course, but not 
architectural. The channel was smooth, and 
two boats made about the same time until 
their paths diverged. Ostend lay white and 



THE LAND OF TBE BATTLE ROYAL. 11 

glistening on the sandy beach, and there were 
many on the pier to meet acquaintances. The 
custom officials took our word, and that is 
more than our own free, enlightened, and civil- 
ized land will do ; for after swearing us, our 
baggage is turned topsy turvy, and offends 
all sense of honor, which to some is of more 
account than personal effects. 

The train from Ostend to Brussels runs 
through a country like a public park. It shows 
care, labor, thought, and money on every foot of 
ground, up to the sky line, all for utility and 
its consequent beauty, for there is loveliness in 
usefulness. The long rows of trees in the dis- 
tance were so trimmed that they looked like 
palms, and gave a tropical view to the land- 
scape. Canals were often crossed, and frequent 
windmills waved their long arms to the 
generations who were benefited by their sawing 
in the air. Fields of wheat, barley, oats, rye, 
and potatoes lay yellow and green like carpets. 
Trees of elm, poplar, willow, and pines were 
planted, trimmed, and trained for specific pur- 
poses, and the hand of thrift and toil was ever 
present. The small houses were usually white, 
and occasional mansions were seen. It was 
once asked, " What made a mansion ? " and 



12 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

the reply was, " Back stairs as well as 
front." 

Brussels is called the little Paris ; and if white 
and cream houses, boulevards and open-air res- 
taurants, make a similarity, then they are alike ; 
and besides, French is the common language. 
How strange is the difference in speech ! On 
the dock at Dover we spoke English, and on the 
boat it was French with the useful and inevi- 
table shrug. 

The sidewalks here speak to one of the 
carboniferous period, by way of large and perfect 
specimens of the crinoid family — the limestone 
is quarried near, and of a blue color — a foot- 
way of geological interest. 

The Cathedral of St. Gudule, the Hotel de 
Ville, and the Palais of Justice, are notable 
buildings. They testify to the munificence of 
the Church, the Civic and Legal trinity. The 
public park is a rest and refreshment ; the trees 
are large, and the shade dense. Fruits — of cher- 
ries, currants, and gooseberries — are large and 
well flavored, and many times two people could 
be seen in a shady place with a paper bag full 
of the variety. The people seem to be sincerely 
polite, without the mannerisms of some nation- 
alities. 



THE LAND OF THE BATTLE ROYAL. 13 

Dr. Dudley was given a pass by the execu- 
tive officers of the railroads, which are under 
the government, and he made several trips on 
locomotives and hand-cars, the latter propelled 
by poles. These railroads are in good condition 
comparatively ; but I can but wonder what they 
would all think and say to ride over the two 
highest types of the United States, — the Boston 
& Albany Railroad with its suburban service 
through towns and gardens, and the New York 
Central, up the picturesque Hudson River and 
the rich Mohawk Valley with its numerous and 
thriving cities, to Buffalo on Lake Erie. 
These trains roll and glide so smoothly that a 
joint, curve, or grade is unnoticed. But on 
the English and Continental railways, with their 
system of opposite and suspended joints, every 
one can be counted, even in the heavily 
upholstered first-class compartments. 

The people here must have the idea that they 
and theirs are to be seen ; for the towns and 
trains are full of tourists, which are generally 
classed under the name of Americans. We do 
not seem to have any number of foreign visitors, 
except possibly in 1893 at the Columbian Ex- 
position. The natural scenery of Niagara and 
other places, the new cities with all the modern 



14 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

improvements of steam and electricity, do not 
attract even those who ought to improve the 
advantages of travel, and especially on the 
superior railway systems of the United States. 

The cutest object of art and nature in 
Brussels is the boy fountain, so funny that it 
seems not only desirable to see, but one would 
not like to miss the sight. 

The Art Gallery is a large and handsome 
building, well filled with valuable paintings and 
statuary. The esthetic side of all generations 
has always been in evidence, and all nations 
have guarded well many valuable works of 
pure beauty. Even the constant wars and 
changes of governments have not been as dis- 
astrous to such things as would seem possible, 
and the influence has increased during all the 
past ages. 

THE CITY OF DOCKS. 

Antwerp, the S8th of July. 
Another ride through every inch of cultivated 
and productive land; a lesson in thrift, even to the 
use of dogs as beasts of burden ; and one cow 
was hitched to an antique plow and paced along 
the furrows. The people are kindly in their 
manners to strangers. The miles of docks send 
and receive in ships to and from all countries, 



THE LAND OF THE BATTLE ROYAL. 15 

supplies and products of every description. 
Far-seeing men have understood the benefits of 
commerce, and have prepared for prosperity by 
building these docks. With this material side, 
they have also cultivated the arts, and natural 
talent is shown by the " Matsys Well," made 
by a blacksmith who became an artist, and his 
pictures are in the Cathedral of Notre Dame. 
All cities are in contrast with their churches, 
the houses of their inhabitants with the ex- 
tremes of elegance and poverty, the rich man 
and the beggars who implore alms from tourists, 
showing a lack of civic pride. In driving 
through the Park, I saw the Nuphar ad vena, 
which shows the difference of value in environ- 
ment, for we are only satisfied with the Nym- 
phsea. There were fine Shepherdia trees, and on 
some streets were branches of Lindens trimmed 
to run on wires from tree to tree ; really forests 
in a state of graceful nature may become by 
training, a rarity. 

The consuls of the United States are sup- 
posably agreeable, and enjoy seeing their 
countrymen. But even at the best hotels their 
address is not given. We are using a catching 
phrase at present about hauling down the flag. 
There should be something done before that — 



16 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

to raise it. Bare flag-poles are not ornamental 
on the offices of our consuls and ambassadors; 
and I would suggest here that our representatives 
abroad raise the " Stars and Stripes," and never 
take them down only to replace with new when 
necessary. For with all there is to see in 
foreign travel, there is no sight more pleasant 
to the eye, or warming to the heart, or inspiring 
to the mind, than our own arrangement of red, 
white, and blue, whenever or wherever we may 
see it. 

A constant annoyance in traveling is the tip, 
the pourhoire, the trinkgeld, or whatever it may 
be called in any language. I know that all 
travelers would be glad to settle the whole bill 
to include service in its true sense, than to be 
obliged to provide in driblets for every thing that 
is done. It is an injustice to all, and a stop to 
it would be a great convenience. Americans 
are said to have initiated the practice, if so, they 
should cease at once for the benefit of future 
generations. 



COUNTRY OF BE GAL MOUNTAINS. 17 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE COUNTRY OF KEGAL MOUNTAINS. 

Monday, the 30th of July. 

Basle is a beautiful place, with flowers, 
trees, and statuary. After a slight shower there 
was a perfect rainbow, with a secondary, and a 
suspicion of a third. The hall of the hotel 
seemed to be like a salon where were people of 
all nationahties, some taking after-dinner coffee. 
Travelers owe a tribute to first-class hotels, to 
reach at any hour, have a good room, refresh- 
ments, attention, rest, and information. Per- 
haps the " tip " is only an expression of gratitude 
added to the bill, after all. 

What visions are conjured up in the mind 
by the word Alps ! Heights, depths, snow, 
waterfalls, tunnels, trees, sun, shade, admira- 
tion, wonder, delight, houses, cows, sheep, 
meadows, and rivers, all pass before the eyes 
like a panorama, magnificent and grand, im- 
posing, and expressive of the Delectable Moun- 
tains. Nature has done its wonders by piling 



18 A ROYAL JOURNEY, 

up earth and stone, and then gorged them with 
water and ice. Civil engineers have walked 
and worked, figured, planned, and surveyed. 
Financiers have furnished the money. Manu- 
facturers have made material. Commerce has 
brought to its place the necessities. All these 
men of brains and money have worked together, 
and we can take a train at Basle in the morn- 
ing, ride in luxury, dine en route, — and in this 
instance the dinner was in passing through St. 
Gothard's Tunnel, — feast the eyes on magnificent 
and varied scenery, and rest at night in Milan. 
As Napoleon said, " There shall be no Alps," 
there have been none when the demand came 
for the railroad over and through them. 




>4 



KINGDOM OF PRINCELY CATHEDRALS. 19 



CHAPTER V. 

THE KINGDOM OF PRINCELY CATHEDRALS. 

Wednesday^ the 1st of August. 

When the inspirers and architects of the 
Milan Cathedral commenced their imposing 
work, it probably did not occur to them that it 
would be not only a magnet, but a financial 
investment as long as it endured. 

It has presumably taken more money into 
Milan than any other edifice. It cannot be 
passed by, if one is on the Continent. Its situa- 
tion is sociable, right among the people, easy of 
entrance, and a joy to see this house made by 
the hands of artists, gifted to enchain and 
arrest the figures of saints and angels, and pos- 
sibly all the company of heaven. Their prac- 
tical eye also placed the brass line of a meridian, 
and astronomy entered into their calculations. 
All generations who now and ever shall walk, 
admire the genius that radiates like the sun- 
light through stained glass upon the cross, and 
has given this basilica to the world. While we 



20 A BOYAL JOURNEY. 

were at Milan, King Humbert was assassinated 
and bulletin boards had the announcements 
The people read them quietly, and without an}- 
visible sign of agitation or excitement, by word 
or deed. 

The ride from Milan to Boulogne is through 
a level country, with arched bridges over pres- 
ent waterless ways. Corn, hemp, and the wild 
grape vines run riotously over convenient trees. 
Rows of Lombardy poplars and willows trimmed 
to a perfect circle, and fruit trees, are in the 
landscape, and the sky line is so low and even 
that the engineers had only to lay the ties and 
rails on the level ground. 

At Boulogne all this changed ; the road was 
hilly and then mountainous, tunnels with their 
grades and curves were frequent. The rail- 
roads have taken possession of land and water 
as they find it. They wind around the hills, or 
pierce with tunnels. They rise to their height, 
and come down to the valleys in which the 
towns and cities lay white and inviting. We 
seem to go up with a rush and effort, and come 
down in the same manner. On one hillside I 
saw the olive, fig, chestnut, pine, cedar, and 
locust, and could hear the songs of birds, and 
see the many-colored wild flowers. 



KINGDOM OF PRINCELY CATHEDRALS. 21 

Refreshments are offered at nearly every sta- 
tion, and although every one appears to be speak- 
ing something that is not understood, there is 
one universal language, and that is — a smile. 
It shows the good temper, good humor, good 
nature, good habits, and good sense of_ travelers, 
and is appreciated by all who see it. 

Florence, Thursday, the 2d of August. 

The home of illustrious dead, monuments of 
art, painting, statuary, architecture, and their 
devotion to them all. The city is a magnet for 
those gifted with the vision to see and under- 
stand, without a guide-book or courier. To 
regard the tombs of those who worked in litera- 
ture and art, and to know how their influence 
has widened, is almost like an actual visit; to 
tread the paths, and see their environment, 
touches their works with a personal feeling 
never before felt. 

The river Arno with its bridges, the grand 
dome that not only inspired Michael Angelo 
but all the rest of us, and what a wealth of 
gratitude we feel when we stand where we can 
see the Palazza Vecchio, the Uffizi and Pitti 
palaces, the Cathedral and the Campanile, the 
Baptistery with its bronze doors. The visions 



22 A ROYAL JOUBNEY. 

and dreams of artists can have their fruition 
here in the works of the workers in the centu- 
ries that have passed. All these, aside from 
their esthetic value, are and have been good 
investments ; f oi how many people would visit 
Florence, Milan, Pisa, etc., without their cathe- 
drals, and do any tourists pass them in the 
night ? 

The drive around the surrounding hills was 
under an arch of trees — sycamore, elm, willows, 
and the salisburia — with views of the city, and 
the tower in which Galileo worked to find the 
world went around and was round. The statue 
of David by Michael Angelo stands on the 
summit, and the view from here overlooks the 
enriched city by gifted generations. 

In the evening, in a little park, the cutting 
of a watermelon into hundreds of pieces and 
sold by mouthfuls was a comparative sight to 
the large pieces and melons of our own country. 
Curiously enough, here in the sun of Italy, the 
pears, peaches, and plums are not sweet and 
luscious, even the grapes are sour. 

Friday^ the 3d of August. 
The ride from Florence to Rome was at first 
in a valley, and afterward we went into the 



KINGDOM OF PRINCELY CATHEDRALS. 23 

Apennines. I conceived the idea of approxi- 
mating the length of tunnels, or any place 
desired, from the system of opposite and sus- 
pended joints. Count each one, as can always 
be done, multiply by thirty, the supposable 
length of the rails, result the distance passed. 

On some of the hills are monasteries or 
convents where the priests, friars, or monks 
have passed their quiet lives, making cordials 
and wines from their vines, and illuminating 
and translating books, that now and ever shall 
be the admiration of generations — for there 
are some in nearly all libraries — a record of 
patient hand work and possibly heart work. 
Their environment also may show the inspira- 
tion of hymns and literature ; for it is easy to 
fancy them saying, " Light on thy hills, Jeru- 
salem," or, "Calm on the listening ear of night," 
in the long dawn and twilight. The super- 
natural has dominated during all the records of 
history. The Romanists really seem to worship 
the Virgin more than her Son. The Turks 
pray to Allah ; and I saw this week two descend 
from a train at a station, who must have heard 
the hour of prayer tolled, for they stretched out 
their rug and kneeled toward the proper point 
of compass. Naturally they attracted atten- 



24 A BOYAL JOURNEY. 

tion, and one of them was visibly annoyed. 
The other was oblivious, as he should have 
been. 

Some years ago I saw in Grace Church, New 
York, — always open, — two Italians enter, pos- 
sibly husband and wife, in plain attire, and, as 
was her habit, with uncovered head. They 
walked slowly up the middle aisle, knelt at the 
railing, crossed themselves, said their prayers, 
arose and passed out, without knowing that 
their devotions had been given, and of course 
received, in an Episcopal Church. 

It is impossible to ride over this peaceful 
country and quiet landscape, and imagine the 
wars and battles that have covered these plains 
and hillsides. It is to be hoped that there may 
never be another Peace Congress at the Hague, 
or any other place ; for since then both England 
and the United States have crossed the seas, 
with trained armies and rapid-firing guns, to 
subdue some farmers and brown men, who 
merely desire their freedom to have a govern- 
ment according to their views, habits, heredity, 
traditions, and climate. Both England and the 
United States profess and call themselves Chris- 
tians, civilized and enlightened, and are such 
strong nations they should help the weak, in- 



KINGDOM OF PRINCELY CATHEDRALS. 25 

stead of killing them and devastating the land 
with war. However, wars always have been 
and will be. In Bible times, kings were de- 
manded, and after trial they were found want- 
ing. What may sometimes seem an answered 
prayer, results in a disappointment and an 
unwise affair. The works of painting, sculp- 
ture, and architecture in these old cities have 
not only enlightened the Gentiles, but all peo- 
ple. These artists knew the best way of doing 
anything, for they were gifted, and their labors 
have given us art. 

THE CAPITAL OF ITALT. 

Saturday, the 4th of August. 
This day mine eyes have seen the glory of 
an earthly prince of the church militant — the 
Vatican. The situation is imposing ; the num- 
bered columns and narrow-stepped staircase can 
be ascended to the various rooms and arcades, 
of all sizes and forms, but all are ornamented. 
The views from the opened windows gave 
glimpses of trees, flowers, and fountains, and 
among them the Pope and members of his fam- 
ily can take their exercise, for he is in the 
anomalous position as the head of a church and 
a prisoner. The first ascension led to the paint- 



26 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

ings, all noted, but especially the Transfigura- 
tion, the Madonna of Foligno, and the Last 
Communion of St. Jerome, by Raphael. Some 
of these were being well copied, and others are 
haunting, especially a martyr, whose body lies 
on the ground, and his head in the arms of a 
saint, with lines of cherubim and seraphim in 
the distance. 

The Sistine Chapel is covered with the best 
work of Michael Angelo, and the visitor could 
pass hours and days in gazing at the marvelous 
genius of this gifted man. 

From this part we went in front of St. Peter's, 
and around to the side, and entered the rooms 
for sculpture, where all the works are original, 
and those are fortunate who can see copies. 
We were also shown the carriages, altogether 
too ornate to be useful, but they serve their 
purpose when needed in an imposing parade. 
The matchless picture is the library ; and if my 
writing could give witness, it would be a glori- 
ous sight, a vision of transcendent loveliness. 
These artists, while working for the whole state 
of Christ's church militant in their time, in- 
cluded us ; and we triumph in their entrancing 
visions, arrested by brush and chisel for our 
benefit. 



KINGDOM OF PRINCELY CATHEDRALS. 27 

Sunday^ the 5th of August. 

We went to St. Paul outside the walls, where 
I bought in one of the porches some rosaries for 
Romanist acquaintances. They were blessed in 
the Cathedral, where tradition records that the 
educated and vigorous 'saint now rests from his 
labors, while his voice rings through the world 
with increasing strength. The interior is 
chaste and imposing, four rows of large white 
marble pillars, marble floor, and brilliant stained 
glass, all make it conspicuous among the nu- 
merous cathedrals we have visited. While visit- 
ing the Coliseum, and Arches of Constantine 
and Titus, and the Forum, I took a snap-shot 
at Dr. Dudley, posing him and his inventive 
genius against a background of the science and 
art of thousands of years that have passed. 

We took a drive through the Park, and had 
an extensive view of the city from the Pincian 
Hill, the most conspicuous sight being the dome 
of St. Peter's Cathedral. The trees are old, 
indeed, everything on which the eye rests 
shows antiquity. The attuned ear can hear the 
musical notes of a modern thrush, though its 
ancestors may have sung to the Caesars. 

We passed one corner where were four 
statues and fountains, four churches at the ter- 



28 A BOYAL JOURNEY. 

minals of the view, and could also see the 
Quirinal wherein now rests the remains of the 
King. The city is perfectly quiet, and the only 
signs of death and change of rulers are the flags 
at half-mast with a streamer of black crape. 
This common sense of the common people is to 
be prized and encouraged, to accept with equa- 
nimity changes of government. 

Monday, the 6th of August. 
The ride from Rome to Naples is through the 
vines and olives, plains and hills ; and in the 
afternoon we alighted at the station, and began 
to see the beauty of the city, and shall probably 
die after it, but not for the reputed reason. 
From the window of our hotel we can see Mt. 
Vesuvius, and the lovely pinkish purple eve- 
ning light with the moonlight on the water. 
The old castle is now a rock of pleasure, harbor- 
ing yachts from which swimmers plunge into 
the bay. The ride past the miniature copy 
of St. Peter's at Rome and along the narrow 
streets shows the new and old in sharp contrast. 
The winding drive up the hill gives extensive 
views of the city and its surroundings. The 
greatest curiosity is the old road to Rome 
through a narrow tunnel, a kilometer in length 





J 


i 


^ 1 






1 

t 

J 




! 



KINGDOM OF PRINCELY CATHEDRALS. 29 

and a single track in width, which is supposed to 
be that much of the Appian Way between Rome 
and Brindisi. Beside that, is a modern tunnel 
for the use of an electric railway, and these cars 
are changing the old cities into the new life of 
the new century. 

THE CITY WITHOUT INHABITANTS. 

Tuesday, the 7th of August. 
We left Naples early, and rode along the sea- 
coast, seeing some shipping, and stopped at the 
small station of Pompeii. After a lunch we 
went with an official guide into the gate of the 
deserted city, and bought the necessary tickets. 
I hired a sort of sedan chair with two carriers 
to carry me over the desolate and quiet streets, 
which were once as lively and busy as any in 
the land. The preserved remains in the museum 
are very pathetic. The ruins of their halls of 
justice, theaters, baths, and forum show forth 
their intelligence and refined taste. A city 
with all of its buildings and industries covered 
suddenly by lava, tufa, and ashes from Mt. 
Vesuvius seems now almost hke an incredible 
story. For the blue sky and fleecy clouds, the 
maidenhair ferns and some wild flowers, and 
the volcano, are all so natural and quiet, as it 



30 A BOYAL JOURNEY. 

might have been that day in the first century 
before the storm that covered the city for 
thousands of years. On the route back to 
Naples I saw century plants in bloom, enor- 
mous prickly pears, and palm-trees. Nature is 
here shown in variety and contrast ; Vesuvius 
with smoke at its summit, water, islands, blue 
sky and semi-tropical vegetation, and the possi- 
bility of fire from the volcano, with the buried 
city, all make up a variety not seen in any 
other landscape. The desolation of the city of 
Pompeii is a minor chord in this otherwise 
attractive and bright situation. 

Thursday, the 9th of August. 

We left Naples too early to be bothered with 
beggars that swarm in the streets and are happily 
late to rise, and crossed the boot leg to Foggia. 

The land was well cultivated with grains, 
figs, olives, and grapes. The wild flowers com- 
mon to all countries were in bloom, and the 
chicory was pretty and conspicuous. Along 
the Adriatic, with its marked lines of blue and 
green, the small waves lapped the sandy beaches, 
and bathing-places and fishing were continuous 
sights until we reached Ancona. The eucalyp- 
tus-tree is common, and its pungent odor is not 



KINGDOM OF PRINCELY CATHEDRALS. 31 

only pleasant, but also the idea that as our 
driver said in Naples, "it cured sick mens." 
He made the same remark about the herds of 
goats that were driven in the city at night to 
be milked, the process occurring at any place 
desired. 

From Boulogne the ride was in the night, 
the moon was full, the mountains glistened, 
and with the starry host the evening was as 
beautiful as the day. 

THE CITY OF THE LEVEL OF THE SEA. 

Friday ., the 10th of August. 
Venice, the city set in the water, was busy in 
its fish-market in the early hour. We landed and 
paddled our way to the palace, converted into 
a useful hotel. One can fancy those considered 
to be taken apart, ascending these marble stairs, 
and sweeping their elegant robes through richly 
furnished rooms, in contrast to the traveling 
public who can now use the ascenseur, have 
electric lights and all modern luxuries. The 
irony of fate, or the sarcasm of time, can both 
be left to work out the law of compensation. 
The cathedral of St. Mark was celebrating the 
obsequies of the king. Its gay and brilliant 
appearance did not suggest any more sadness 



32 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

than the people, though some had closed their 
shops. The reputed pillars from Solomon's 
Temple in this cathedral in the island city bring 
together pages of history, and faith is necessary 
in hearing many statements. But the beauty 
of St. Mark's Square, the cathedral, palace, 
library, statuary, and campanile, is an assured 
fact and a notable sight. 

When the traveler of this twentieth century 
stands in cities like Rome or Venice, does he 
see anything but the shell, or the mummy, or 
skeleton, of history? The Caesars and Doges, 
with all of their relatives and retinues, have 
passed, leaving only the decay of Time's effacing 
fingers. 

Will it be the same in centuries to come 
with a metropolis like New York ? How little 
we can know in this state of existence ^ — hardly 
have time to start our race before we are called 
to finish ! However this may all be, the present 
Venice by night, with a full moon, is a dream 
or vision of beauty, and all of its past fearful 
history like a nightmare. The people fill the 
streets, the women of all ages wearing black 
shawls ; and their rhythmic motions up and 
down the marble steps, and along the Grand 
Canal, are free from any of the dread of the 
lion's mouth. 



KINGDOM OF PRINCELY CATHEDRALS. 33 

We walked into the court of the palace of 
the Doges, up the grand staircase, with its 
heroic statues, and, after paying the price, 
entered the rooms decorated by gifted artists, — 
among them Veronesa, Tintoretto, — their pupils 
and others. The amount of work that these 
persons accomplished is almost incredible, and 
so much of it while lying on their backs and 
gazing upward. The history of all these places 
is always decorative, and the appreciation of 
genius has been both in use and ornament. 
The books and manuscripts in the library are 
priceless to some, and an inspiration to all who 
may see them. A few steps over the " Bridge 
of Sighs," and there is contrast of light and 
darkness, luxury to poverty, from power to 
suffering. The shriving of a condemned per- 
son on the night before execution behind an iron 
grate and before an image of the Virgin, lighted 
by a candle, is such a sarcasm on the practice 
of the Preacher of the Sermon on the Mount, 
that one can only wonder if it could give any 
comfort to a distressed mind or aching heart. 

It has been my good fortune to see the full 
moon on Lake Geneva with Mont Blanc in the 
distance, the Bay of Naples with Mt. Vesuvius, 
and now the Adriatic with the light of numer- 
ous gondolas. 



34 A BOYAL JOURNEY. 



CHAPTER VI. 

THE DOMAIN OF THE EOYAL ROADS. 

Saturday^ the 11th of August. 
We left Venice with a promise of rain in a 
dark cloud, while stars were shining on the other 
side. The rain finally descended in such torrents 
that our gondoliers stopped under one of the 
bridges until the shower was over. Our ride 
on the train was delightful ; and at the boun- 
dary, which travelers always know from a visit 
of the custom official, we soon entered the 
Austrian Alps, and had the varied and wonder- 
ful panorama of mountain scenery. At Villach 
a lunch came in, previously ordered, and a side 
table was raised for convenience. When one 
compares the dining-cars of the United States 
with those on the continent, we can feel proud 
of our own, and in fact, of our entire railroad 
system. Our large parlor, sleeping, and dining 
cars, powerful locomotives, and the gliding of 
these over smooth and heavy rails, unconscious 
of joints, curves, or grades, make all journeys as 



THE DOMAIN OF THE ROYAL ROADS. 35 

luxurious as possible. Only the fact that the 
railroad equipment abroad suits the inhabitants 
saves it from our ridicule. 

The scenery and wayside studies are always 
interesting from variety and contrast, and Al- 
pine views are so attractive that it seemed 
desirable to stop at Semmering. The change 
of a week from Rome with its antiquity, cathe- 
drals, paintings, and statuary to a place of 
nature — nearly a mile above the level of the 
sea — was not only a thought but an inspira- 
tion. A stillness was on these everlasting hills, 
not broken by even the sound of a bird, though 
I saw two wrens, one trying to teach the other 
to fly. These mountains are wound around by 
excellent roads, dotted by substantial hotels and 
gay villas. Telegraph-poles, electric lights, nu- 
merous pedestrians, bicycles, and carriages, all 
combine to make these heights among the clouds 
as attractive as possible. Still more heights 
beyond, and, as we look down, the towns in 
the valleys seem almost like toy houses. The 
flowers that bloom are the fragrant cyclamen, 
and those common to temperate zones, com- 
positse, labiatse, and legumenosse. The trees 
are pines, balsams, larches, spruce, and occa- 
sional beeches and birches. Our ampelopsis 



36 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

quinquefolia decorates the piazza of our hotel, 
and the view shows mountains of all altitudes, 
clouds both high and low on them, and a blue 
sk}" overhead. The height and depth and riches 
of nature. 

IN CIX)TJD TJLNTf. 

Sundaij, the IMh of August. 
A walk in the afternoon gave us extended 
views of peaks on peaks, Ossa on Pelion piled, 
and in the far distance a cog railway to increase 
the attractions to tourists. These mountain- 
tops were the first telegraph and telephone 
poles, for they furnished a place for signal 
hghts to notify friends and foes of existing 
conditions. A blaze on one was read on others, 
as we read telegrams. Verily there have been 
similar results since the reign of man. 1 heard 
the sweet notes of a thrush, and saw the work 
of a family of termites. In one of the railway 
stations in Italy their activity had reduced the 
wood-work into thin shavings and powder. Ob- 
servers of animal life can see much to admire 
and imitate, especially in different localities. 
In Naples the donkey seems to do the most 
work, in other cities the dog ; and the horse is 
beyond all except in Venice, where he is super- 



THE DOMAIN OF THE ROYAL ROADS. 37 

seded by a gondolier. How sarcastic are many 
events in daily life I 

Tuesday, the 14th of August. 

The ride from Semmering to Vienna was 
over, in, around, and under the mountains, val- 
leys, and river, and pleased the eye with its 
variety and novelty, and gratified the engineer 
with its ability. Vienna seems to be awake, for 
streets are being widened, houses torn down, 
and others constructed. The public vehicles 
are a curiosity and a convenience. 

The U. S. Consul's office, as usual, did not 
display a flag, and it took several questions to 
find it, when it should have been conspicuous 
with Stars and Stripes, which tourists like to 
see above and beyond everything. 

The art of being a good American in any 
country is to behave with perfect propriety, 
dress suitably and quietly, make requests po- 
litely, and in all things behave like well-trained 
and cultivated ladies and gentlemen. There 
would then not be any necessity to wear or 
carry flags, for the manners would be the cloud 
of witnesses to proclaim to all that the tourists 
or strangers who behaved graciously must be 
from the United States. 

The state railroads- are like all the othei-s, — 



38 A BOYAL JOURNEY. 

almost toys in comparison to " American rails." 
In one yard is a locomotive in use after fifty 
years' service. 

The principal business seems to be to eat out- 
doors, and of course to drink also. The cathe- 
dral is imposing and noted ; for tourists all go 
to see it, walk around its large pillars, notice 
the stained glass, the occasional kneeling wor- 
shippers, and wonder at the whole. In this 
connection I add that pages could be written, 
and have been, of all these places, and are 
really guide-books. What I write in this vol- 
ume of royal recollections is only the impression 
of the whole, without details. 

The public buildings are situated on the 
" Ring," probably as noted a collection as any 
in the world ; and it is easy to find the way for 
strangers who like to stroll alone. 

The Holy Day of the Assumption, the 15th of August. 

The Virgin Mary would probably be the most 
astonished of persons, if she could see the place 
she occupies after nineteen centuries have 
passed since she has. This city was virtually 
closed, more than on Sundays. The people 
seem to be glad of any chance for a holyday, 
and this desire assists their willingness to 



THE DOMAIN OF THE ROYAL ROADS. 39 

respect the days of the saints. The museums 
and art galleries were open, and persons of all 
ages and conditions were ascending and de- 
scending the marble stairs, viewing the elegance 
and munificence of this imperial capital. 
Workingmen with a child on each hand, 
explaining the rare and costly objects, giving to 
their narrow lives a glimpse of earthly glory 
and a possible stimulus to latent ability. 

Working men and women do not all wear 
common clothes, or commence at seven in the 
morning and cease at six at night. The 
managers of enterprises, the financiers, the 
engineers, who may wear Prince Albert coats 
and silk hats, dress-suits for dinner, often work 
twenty-four hours in the day, of genuine labor. 
They pass their days for wealth, and then their 
wealth for health. In this substantial and well- 
built city, around the Ring, with its elegant 
buildings and palaces, there run in the streets 
the most ridiculous little trams or wagons 
covered with advertisements, so that visitors do 
not know whether the vehicle goes to some 
strasse or to some patent medicine. The affair 
on wheels, whatever its name may be, is con- 
venient, for it seems to go everywhere, presum- 
ably with a method, I could describe the 



40 A BOYAL JOURNEY. 

Votive Church, the Opera House, Parliament, 
Hotel de Ville, Palace, Museum, Art Gallery, and 
all the princely buildings that make the King 
one of the most imposing in the world. But 
these essays are not in any sense a guide-book, 
but, as the prophet says, they are the " visions " 
that are left on my personality with all that I 
see and hear and experience. I am impressed 
with the kindness and consideration of all the 
people, for many of them go out of their way 
to direct the sauntering strangers, and answer 
questions with politeness. It is however, good 
human nature to impart information, and, as 
a rule, every one likes to be a mentor. 

Friday, the 17th of August. 

The birthday of an Emperor. Vienna was 
decorated in an elaborate manner with national 
flags of all sizes and kinds ; and in a ride of 
several miles I only saw two of the United 
States, and one of those was on a hotel. The 
Emperor will feel pardonable pride in seeing 
these manifestations in his honor, and they 
show forth respect for his years and reign. 

The locomotive works here furnish neighbor- 
ing countries with that greatest engine of civili- 
zation. The employees work about nine hours 



THE DOMAIN OF THE ROYAL ROADS. 41 

a day, and thousands of them are employed, 
and many of them live in the rows of houses 
near the works. Their children run in the 
street, carry lunch, and are reared to work. 
The garden was gay with roses, verbenas, 
mignonette, pelargoniums, and two florapondas. 
The manager was hospitable and gracious with 
attentions of refreshments and bouquets. 

The evening of Friday, August 17th, was 
given to the masses. The streets and pave- 
ments were filled with all sorts and conditions 
of men, women, and children. Street cars and 
carriages made way for pedestrians, and only 
mail wagons were allowed to be driven. Our 
room, which " gave " on the Ring, had a rug 
suspended from the large, double window, and 
six wax candles in a row, so that we participated 
in the Biblical affair of threescore and ten. It 
was a gay scene, with all the colors of the rain- 
bow, and a happy crowd of people, like the 
numberless leaves of Yallombrosa ; though in 
passing through that place I did not see any 
more there than is usual on the same trees. 
Poetic license can be scientifically misleading. 



42 A BOYAL JOUBNEY. 

AROUND THE RING. 

Vienna, Sunday, the 19th of August. 

A pleasant day for a walk past the Opera 
House, fine Art Gallery and Museum. Between 
the two are conventional beds of shades of 
green, without any other color, and very hand- 
some they were. We passed the Palace of the 
Emperor, the Treasury, Theatre, and to the 
Kathhouse, made ready for a public mass to cele- 
brate the birthday, surrounded by crowds of 
people, with bands and companies of soldiers. 
At the Votive Church a strong-voiced priest was 
telling his people in German what was right 
and honorable. The congregation was seated 
around him sociably in movable chairs, and the 
light streamed through the stained glass, and it 
all made a beautiful picture. 

The little parks are gay with flower beds, and 
in one the trees were labeled. The Japanese 
Salisburia had some of its long branches lying 
on the ground, all staminate trees. 



~ — ' ~^ T^^^MM 


1 




1 



THE GREAT PETER AND CATHERINE. 43 



CHAPTER YII. 

THE MONAECHY OF THE GREAT PETER AND 
CATHERINE. 

Monday^ the 20th of August. 
We left Vienna in a " wagon lit," and 
crossed the brown Danube, which waltzed toward 
the sea as well as if.it were blue. The country 
is level, the yalley wide and fertile. Many 
industries were passed, and everything seemed 
prosperous. At one of the stations we ordered 
in a table d'hote dinner, which filled our room, 
and from soup to dessert all were appetizing. 
Against our usual custom to travel only by day- 
light, we had taken a sleeping-car, to go direct 
to St. Petersburg without change of cars, and 
with our passport vised the ride seemed to be 
free from any anxiety. Fancy our surprise at 
the border, to be ordered out by an officer clad 
in white garments, and into a large room where 
every piece of baggage was opened and ex- 
amined! even the waterproof and rubbers on 
the outside were labeled. Our passports were 



44 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

taken away, and then I felt as if our identifi- 
cation was lost, and we might be called by some 
other name, not at all as sweet as our own. I do 
not yet know what was dutiable or if any such 
articles were found in any of the baggage ex- 
amined. This was the first time we had seen 
the white Russian blouse. After the exami- 
nation we were told to wait about an hour, then 
about eleven at night, and the large restaurant 
was well patronized. On our return to the 
compartment in the car the beds were ready 
and our passport was returned. We had evi- 
dently been weighed and found correct. We 
rode along until about six o'clock in the 
morning, when we reached Warsaw, and were 
told it was necessary for us to take a carriage 
ride across the town and river Vistula to an- 
other station, which we did. But the satire of 
a " through wagon lit " was noted for future use, 
for the railroad track changes gauge here from 
four feet, eight and one-half inches, to five feet. 
Warsaw is a well-built and attractive city, 
handsome public buildings, and we did not 
regret the enforced ride or long wait at the 
station, where we had coffee and rolls, as all 
adopt this Continental custom by reason of 
necessity. 



THE GREAT PETER AND CATHERINE. 45 

Tuesday, the 21st of August. 
The ride to St. Petersburg was tame, — plen- 
ty of land — no need for anyone to fail of a 
home or farm, for thatched huts are the rule, 
and grain, fruit, and poultry could be raised, and 
the inhabitants ought to be thrifty. The diffi- 
culties of coming in and going out of Russia 
are a visible barrier to commerce. The people 
at the stations are polite and attentive, and try 
to understand our English, French, and German, 
when they only know their own language. 
Hot tea is served in glass tumblers, usually 
with a piece of lemon, and is refreshing. We 
were permitted to ride without change until 
St. Petersburg was reached. 

THE CITY OF THE DOTJBLE-HEADED EAGIiE. 

Wednesday, the 22d of August. 
The station is large and convenient and the 
first one we had seen with a shrine. The car- 
riage ride to the hotel was pleasant, and we 
alighted at an arch, through which we could 
see the Winter Palace and some government 
buildings. We had a front room, and could see 
the droskys with their padded drivers, compa- 
nies of soldiers, and while the city might seem 
like all others it is entirely different. We 



46 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

called at the consular office, which had up a 
discouraged looking flag — better than none — 
but at the Ambassador's the flag was hauled 
down if it had ever been raised. All the per- 
sons connected with both places were attentive. 

During one of our walks we saw the name of 
an American enterprise, and we called for some 
information in the English language, which is 
different from the Russian on the point of 
being understood. The manager was cordial, 
and we were treated to hot tea in glass tum- 
blers. 

The difficulty here in Russia, even with three 
languages at command, is their alphabet of 
thirty-six letters, and those like ours are not 
the same if they look alike. 

I understand the stereotyped remarks about 
people in Panama, for the rating of desirability 
was if " he could read reading or writing or 
both," for I was in a city unable to read the 
names of streets, ask a question, or understand 
a remark, or read the headings in the daily 
papers. One fortunate fact, figures are the 
same. There is a trinity of universal lan- 
guages — figures, music and a smile. 

Peter the Great evidently thought more of 
the water than he did of the land ; for he built 



THE GREAT PETER AND CATHERINE. 4? 

into it, bridged over it, until the city has water- 
ways at its doors. The Cathedral of Kazan is 
very large on the ground with arched rows of 
pillars something like St. Peter's at Rome. It 
is rich in silver, gold, and precious stones on 
the interior. All of the blazing saints can be 
kissed, and devotees kneel before them in a de- 
vout manner. At the gate of this gorgeously 
decorated temple there stand beggars with out- 
stretched hands, and presuming on their igno- 
rance of English I told them, in passing, to sell 
some of the jewels and use the proceeds for 
their charities. The tattered flags of conquest 
hang on the walls as trophies, and the keys of 
subdued cities adorn some of the pillars. His- 
tory is full of war's defeats and conquests. 

Friday, the S4th of August. 
The day began with a ride on the Nevskoi 
Prospekt, — the only name of a street that a for- 
eigner could intelligently speak, — and we drove 
around the Admiralty building, which is a 
conspicuous landmark. Near it is a small 
and ornamental park, fresh and gay, with a 
unique statue of a bust of a celebrated traveler 
on an irregular piece of granite, with a life- 
sized camel loaded for his kind of sail in the 



48 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

desert, carved in marble, suggestive, but out of 
proportion. We entered St. Isaac's Cathedral, 
whose dome shines with pure gold, and rows of 
massive pillars on all four sides. The interior 
is rich with malachite and lapis lazuli. The 
statues and saints are adorned with gold, silver, 
and precious stones. Sacred relics are prized 
and guarded. In one room women are not 
allowed to enter, and Dr. Dudley was escorted 
therein alone. He came out, and did not report 
any unusual sight or experience. I had a 
glimpse of a life-sized painting of Christ, which 
is uncommon, for He is usually represented as 
a babe, or else in the tomb, with the exception 
of the Ascension. The architects showed 
their ability in supporting the dome ; and what- 
ever may be done in other planets, mankind 
has shown in this, the skill of construction and 
the art of decoration with the rich products of 
the earth. A ride over bridges and into the 
suburbs shows the usual variety of architecture 
and material. In front of the Bourse, which 
is of Grecian type, the small park was entirely 
covered with conventional flower beds, like 
rugs spread upon the ground. The river flows, 
boats flash up and down, and the whole scene 
is gay and bright. The name and fame of the 



THE GREAT PETER AND CATHERINE. 49 

founder, his hut and palace, keep him ever in 
remembrance ; and his energy and talent have 
not only started this great city, but are an in- 
centive for its continuance and progress. 

Sunday^ the 26th of August. 

The Cathedral of Alexandre Nevskoi is ap- 
proached by a walk through the cemetery in 
which Rubinstein is buried. His " Kamennoi- 
Ostrow " (" Stone Island," the English trans- 
lation ") was probably written at that place, 
and the Aria may have been sung to him. 
The Russian songs are rather weird, though not 
as much so as one might think. The monu- 
ments in the cemetery are very thick, and show 
care ; for there is a custom of the meeting of 
relatives and friends at the grave of the de- 
ceased on the name day, and partake of re- 
freshments. It certainly does keep the absent 
in remembrance. It is also more felicitous to 
keep the christening day than that of one's 
birth, for the exact age need never be spoken. 

The large room of the cathedral has a recum- 
bent statue of Alexandre Nevskoi, before 
which wax candles are always burning by the 
worshipers, who kissed the glass, bowed to 
the floor, kneeling and crossing themselves. 



50 A BOYAL JOURNEY. 

In a chapel there was a choral service, all 
standing or kneeling, and the voices were 
musical, the harmony and melody perfect and 
sweet. There seemed to be a litany from the 
responses, and at certain times the congrega- 
tion would be affected to increase their cross- 
ing ; and their hands would fly fast and often 
from head to breast, and their knees would bow 
even to having the forehead touch the floor. 
Rolls of bread and candles were passed around, 
evidently for sale. There was a funeral pro- 
cession ; first a white vehicle filled with twigs 
of spruce and balsam, which were thrown out, 
one by one, by two persons. Then black- 
robed priests with swinging censers, some men 
and women on foot; a carriage, and then the 
wliite hearse, the casket covered with white 
satin, bouquets, wreaths and flowers of all 
colors; and following were six carriages. It 
was impressive, and involuntarily, or perhaps 
the custom, all the men in passing raised 
their hats. On the way home we met another 
funeral procession without any of the embellish- 
ments — inf erentially, one was for the rich, and 
the other for the poor. 

We took a walk, and had a good look at the 
heroic statue of Catherine the Great, in a small 



THE GREAT PETER AND CATHERINE. 51 

park. She stands with scepter in hand, with 
the pose of an empress, the robe ornamented 
with the symbols of the double-headed eagle. 
Around her are grouped life-size figures of 
notable men and one woman who helped to dis- 
tinguish her progressive reign. Some women 
are born to rule and reign. Back of the 
park is a theater, cream and white in color, 
with pillars and ornaments. On one side is the 
imperial library with Doric columns and statu- 
ary, and all combine to make a noted place and 
landmark. The masses seem to enjoy all of 
these parks, which a good government gives to 
them in all cities. 

Monday, the 27th of August. 
We started together in a drosky and drove to 
the residence of Prince Hilkoff, the Minister of 
Ways and Communications, where Dr. ^Dudley 
entered, and I went to the Hermitage, the Art 
Gallery connected to the Winter Palace by 
arches. The heroic statues in front upholding 
only one story seem to make a great effort. 
On ascending an inclined plane, a man, clothed 
in red, said the gallery was closed for the sum- 
mer. Then I replied, " I am an American," 
and that honored name opened to me the doors 



62 A BOYAL JOURNEY. 

of this distant and elegant collection, and my 
name is inscribed among the foreigners who can 
have access during the two months it is closed , 
to the natives. A long flight of stairs leads to 
the rooms filled with paintings, notably Rem- 
brandts, Teniers and Rubens, vases of mala- 
chite, and all the usual collection desirable for 
study and exhibition. Many copyists were at 
work, and it is a great gift to be able to live 
and work among the imperishable names of 
artistic genius. On the first floor are collec- 
tions of pottery, coins, gems, and antiques. 

Dr. Dudley passed the day in the Potoloff 
Steel & Locomotive Works, personally con- 
ducted. These were built years ago; and the 
founder, whose life was devoted to them, died 
soon after their completion and also that of his 
finances. By his desire he was buried near 
them, and there is an annual procession of the 
thousands of workmen to his grave. His me- 
chanical success is immeasurable. 

Curiously enough, the present Superintendent 
learned his trade in Bethlehem, Penn. These 
works make all kinds of structural and crucible 
steel, castings of steel and iron for locomotives, 
small portable railways, armor plate, shafts for 
steamboats, nickel and tungsten steel, and all 



THE GREAT PETEB AND CATHERINE. 53 

kinds of cast wheel centers for locomotive 
drivers. The shops are made of old railroad 
iron in semicircles with a large amount of glass 
for light. Connected with them is a technical 
staff, testing every piece of material that is for 
the government or private enterprise. 

Russia is wide awake in machinery and wheat 
fields, and when the vast country shakes off the 
lethargy of traditions, as it is slowly doing, the 
world will become conscious of it. 

To visitors it is amusing to see officials wear 
overcoats in summer weather. They are usually 
light colored and a handsome garment, and show 
their possession. The rigors of winter will 
probably compel more overcoats and thicker 
padding of the drosky drivers. 

Tuesday, the 28th of August. 

St. Petersburg, like all large cities, is full of 
delightful surprises, while riding in the com- 
fortable and convenient drosky. Some of the 
horses are as perfect as possible, black in color ; 
and on one street is a drive exclusively for the 
fast horses. 

There are many churches of all theologies, 
artillery schools and military academies, with 
suggestive cannon in front. After crossing the 



54 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

Alexander bridge we are in Peterside, where 
his hut is enclosed for safe keeping, and near 
is the small palace in which his counsellors 
met in session. The ride continues around an 
oval, with trees and flower beds each of a color. 
The zoological gardens are here, and near by is 
an Academy for cadets. On the bridge is a 
shrine, which, with all the rest in different parts 
of the city, keep the members of the Russian 
national theology constantly occupied in cross- 
ing themselves in a rapid manner, raising their 
hats and moving the lips. 

Wednesday, the 29th of August. 

The High School for Engineers of Perma- 
nent Way of the Government railways occupies 
two buildings. They test all kinds of material, 
brick, stone, steel rails, and have the latest ap- 
paratus for the latest technical investigations. 

There is a chemical laboratory well equipped 
for research with microscopes, pyrometers, and 
in five minutes made about a pound of chemi- 
cally pure iron, from the oxide of iron melted by 
aluminum borings. It was a new process, and 
colored glass had to be worn to observe it. They 
can prepare steel with any proportion of meta- 
loids, for the purpose of studying the structure. 



THE GREAT PETER AND CATHERINE. 5b 

The St. Nicholas railway was started in 1830, 
and they have works for treating pine ties with 
chloride of zinc. This process increases the life 
of the ties, but is not entirely satisfactory, as 
it softens the wood, and does not prevent inter- 
nal decay, for the fungus Lentinus lepideus Fr. 
was found in ties just taken out after only six 
years' service. 

Prince Hilkoff told Dr. Dudley that he de- 
sired him to see everything of engineering 
interest, and sent his nephew to escort him to 
railway shops, see tracks, and furnished a hand- 
car for convenience to note all the details of 
ties and construction. It may be interesting to 
readers to know that the Prince " learned his 
trade " and worked three years in locomotive 
shops in Philadelphia, and they call him the 
" Yankee railroad man," a sobriquet that ex- 
plains his progressive ideas. His technical and 
practical education have placed him at the head 
of one of the most important commercial and 
civilized industries of his country. 

Thursday, the 30th of August. 
The gallery of modern painting and sculpture 
is an attractive place. The walk through the 
little park in front, with flower beds and a pile 



56 A EOYAL JOURNEY. 

of sand for the children, is a prologue of nature 
to the chapter of pictures. It belongs to the 
people, for it is open every day from both sides. 
These are some of the objects that have left an 
impression, with the names that would seem to 
express them, as I did not have a catalogue — 
the martyr, the prayer for the cup to pass, a 
portrait, two ocean views, one snowy mountain, 
and a unique last supper with conventional 
table cover. 

The statuary is also attractive ; and one piece, 
called " Learning to Walk," would be a suitable 
companion to the forced prayer. A statue of 
Catherine the Great gives an opportunity to 
study the details of features and the character 
they represent. 

Friday, the 31st of August. 

We went to the Moscow Station, and not 
only saw many passengers come and go, but 
noted the colors of the cars, — first class, blue ; 
second class, green ; and third class, yellow. On 
our way to St. Petersburg we had seen on a 
siding the imperial train of many cars, all blue 
of course, so that the Czar and his family are 
added to the list of those who travel first class. 

With the proper permits we passed out on 



THE GREAT PETER AND CATHERINE. 57 

the track, took photographs of cars and loco- 
motives. When we mentioned as a motive for 
our performances, the word " Americans," they 
seemed pleased, and it probably expressed to 
them the reason for our aggressive actions. 

The Mining School is of Greek architecture, 
on the bank of the river Neva, and to-day was 
filled with twelve hundred applicants for the 
examination for eighty places. Years ago pupils 
were paid for taking the course, but progress 
has changed that order. The museum was 
closed to visitors, but Prince Hilkoff had 
arranged for us to see its treasures; and his 
nephew escorted us, and we were introduced to 
the Curator, who explained in perfect Russian 
the valuable exhibits, and he loved his speci- 
mens. Many of them are seen in all museums, 
— saurian reptiles, crinoids, stigmaria, sigillaria, 
lepidodendron, etc. The piece of Siberian gold 
worth twenty thousand dollars was in a locked 
cabinet, and opened for us, and also many other 
valuable specimens. 

Reposing on a velvet cushion, under glass, 
was a green beryl, valued at twenty-five thou- 
sand dollars, and it weighed about five pounds. 
One of the chryso-beryls is emerald green by 
daylight, and lilac-colored by candle-light. 



58 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

There were also a rare mineral called petzite, a 
large mass of native copper, and a monster topaz 
crystal of a yellowish brown hue, another of a 
blue color, and a piece of malachite weighing a 
ton. In one room there were models of all 
kinds ; and one was of the iron works that made 
the iron palm exhibited in the Columbian Expo- 
sition of 1893, and it greeted me here like an 
acquaintance as I remembered seeing it, and 
wondered at the skill of forming fan palm- 
leaves of old iron rails. An artificial mine is 
under the building, into which we entered carry- 
ing lighted candles and following our guide in 
the darkness. In this it is shown how coal, 
lead, gold, silver, iron, copper, platinum, zinc, 
and all the mining products of earth are found 
and worked. 

It is about a half-mile long, and has an air- 
shaft, car to be loaded, and all things necessary 
for mining work. In passing among the appli- 
cants, I thought of good old Master Tre- 
borius, for there may be great men before 
us, among the eighty successful candidates. 

Saturday^ the 1st of September. 
The royal carriages, harnesses, saddles, sleighs, 
might as well be called bric-a-brac, or ob- 



THE GREAT PETER AND CATHERINE. 59 

jects of virtu; for as a means of convey- 
ance they are of no use in the building where 
they are on exhibition. Many of them were 
presents from other governments, and as rich 
and handsome as material could furnish ; and 
all were of gold, silver, gems, silk, and velvet. 

A reminder of the years that are passed is 
the primitive vehicle made and used by Peter 
the Great ; and in passing will add here that, if 
there is anything he left undone, Catherine the 
Great finished it. 

Two gruesome carriages among these elegan- 
cies were the ruins of the one in which Alex- 
ander II. was killed, and the other which con- 
veyed his remains to his palace ; and in sight 
of this building is the church in process of 
erection, covered with staging, where he fell 
down, mortally wounded by the bomb of an 
anarchist. 

The walls of the rooms are covered with 
rare tapestries, and it does not at all seem like 
a carriage house. 

Monday, the 3d of September. 

The Winter Palace, on the river Neva, is a 
large, reddish-brown stone building, with a 
court fitted and furnished with all that money 
and material could do. The entrance for 



60 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

visitors is through the Hermitage on the second 
floor; and the conservatory and flowers sug- 
gest the hanging gardens of Biblical history. 
Paintings of historical interest of persons and 
battles, statuary of the rulers of this empire, 
show the honor and pride in which they are 
regarded. The rooms of those who have 
passed away from all this earthly grandeur are 
now as they left them, even to the bouquets, 
money, brushes, combs, papers, pens, books, 
and all that made up the necessities of busy 
and useful men and women. Such care as this 
of materia], helps to make history, for those who 
follow them will be kept in touch with the 
manners of past years ; and the influence of 
these touching articles cannot be overlooked. 
Even the couches and beds on which monarchs 
have died are shown, as reminders of the un- 
bidden and unwelcome guest who enters all 
houses at a more royal pleasure than any of 
those of earthly power. In alcoves are easy- 
chairs for those who desire to see the parades 
in the open space for that purpose. 

The chapel was still fragrant with incense, 
and the relics shown are gratifying and real to 
the exhibitors ; — some visitors might not agree 
with them. 



THE GREAT PETER AND CATHERINE. 61 

The rooms in the palace are of all sizes and 
shapes, and the ingenuity of the architects must 
have been stimulated by the requirements. To 
be ruler not only of this palace with its thou- 
sands of servants, and many others in royal 
cities and in the country, beside millions of 
people, is to be born into a heritage that is so 
stupendous as to be overwhelming in thought 
and action. And all those who have done 
aright have used all the talents committed to 
their charge. 

We took a drosky to visit an American in- 
dustry; and while it seemed natural in the 
well-fitted office, yet a look around showed the 
difference, for the workmen are not like those 
in the United States. It is not necessary they 
should be, for they are suited to their heredity 
and environment. A shrine in nearly every 
room is a novelty, and brings the supernatural 
into strong contrast with the practical. It was 
gratifying to see that our country on its first 
quarter of a second century is establishing in- 
dustries in foreign lands, with all the draw- 
backs of difference in language and habits. 
To me it seems as if our advances under all 
these difficulties were more apparent than 
real. 



62 A BOYAL JOURNEY. 



PETERHOF, A FANTASIA OF WATER. 

Tuesday, the 4th of September. 

A drosky ride to a steamboat-landing on 
the river Neva, and the little steamer passes 
armored ships, dry docks, School of Mines, 
buoys, signal stations, until the width of the 
river precludes seeing only the land line, and 
that finally vanishes. 

At Peterhof the parks, fountains, palaces, 
and chapels show that money has been spent 
as freely as the water that flows in all direc- 
tions and heights. The large palace, of old- 
gold color, typifying the lavish expenditure, 
has rooms furnished in all colors, with the 
richest materials : artistic frescoes, damask- 
covered walls, elaborate chandeliers, and all 
those things that show forth the richness and 
variety of manufactures and art, and this word 
in its real sense as the best way of doing the 
work. One room of gilt and mirrors reflected 
itself indefinitely; and yearly the ofiicials of 
St. Petersburg are entertained in it. 

Another room looked upon the flower beds, 
now in full bloom, with fountains, trees, walks, 
and seats ; and curiously enough, this palace, 
like many others, is really the enjoyment of 



THE GREAT PETER AND CATHERINE. 63 

those who take care of it, and particularly 
those who show it to visitors. The chapel ad- 
joined, and what these people never forget, 
the outward crossing-sign of the intangible 
life. 

A drive through this large and magnificent 
park showed palaces of all sizes and kinds for 
the different members of the royal family and 
their attendants ; and around one was a garden 
of bloom, without a sign of walk, and hardly 
of leaf, — an exquisite floral picture. 

The ingenuity of the designs of the foun- 
tains Avas as attractive as their beauty : water 
running down golden stairs, rippling inside a 
Doric arcade, shooting out of pipes into the air, 
rushing over marble statues, running out of the 
mouths of the fishes of the sea. Beside the 
heroic fountain in front of the largest palace, of 
a gilded figure pouring out water ; while upon 
many steps gilded statuary threw water in all 
directions, and a large jet blowing in the air 
was illumined by a rainbow. The vista from 
this point showed the sea, with avenues and 
fountains on each side. Water obeys its 
master, and performs wonders of attraction and 
grace. 

The Palace of Peter is still in good order, 



64 A ROYAL JOUBNEY. 

and plain in all of its arrangements. He gave 
a solid foundation to his country, on which his 
heirs can build and adorn. Comparisons are 
made by visitors to this place with Versailles, 
but both have been built and enriched from a 
royal treasury. 

The most unique statue of Peter the Great 
stands on the banks of the river in his city. 
He is on a rearing horse on a block of stone 
in a natural state, and one foot of the animal 
is crushing the head of a snake. It is admired 
by all in every way. 



THE EMPIEE OF THE IMPERIAL ARMY. Q^b 



CHAPTER VIII. 

THE E^IPIEE OF THE BIPEETATi AHMY, 

GEEMAXY. 

Wednesday^ the 5th of September. 
The ride from St. Petersburg to the frontier 
is uninteresting, unless one contrasts that 
country with Germany. In Russia the trees 
are cut down, acres of wood, ready to burn, 
leaving a waste place. There are miles of un- 
cultivated land, and hovels for houses of the 
peasants. Then the necessity of a passport is 
a bar to travel and commerce. As soon as the 
frontier is crossed, in an instant all is changed. 
Trees are cut, but others are planted, every foot 
of ground is cultivated, hedges and good houses 
show the taste and thrift of the people. Thou- 
sands of acres are planted with beets, and manu- 
factories for their conversion into sugar are 
frequent. The railroad towns are large and 
thriving, and passengers are free to go and 
come. Steam farming implements are in use, 
and the ride from the frontier interesting and 



66 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

delightful in itself, and not as a study of con- 
trast. The awakening of young Russia is more 
apparent than real, for it is hampered by tech- 
nique, passports, and the requirements of the 
army. 

Berlin, Friday, the 7th of September. 
A walk on the arboreal named street in 
Berlin shows rows of small trees, shops, the 
convenient omnibus and the ordinary sights of 
a large city. The wealth, luxury, and royalty 
are clustered together, and palaces, art gal- 
leries, museums, churches, and statues are all 
neighbors, and of course in good company. 
We entered the royal palace, and waited for the 
guide to collect enough of a party on whom to 
inflict his information, which was necessary, 
though many paintings and decorations and 
statuary introduced themselves to those who had 
read. The white room is the most attractive ; 
and the chapel has an ornamental dome, an 
imposing feature in architecture. The felt slip- 
pers in which we shuffled around were useful 
to us on the polished floors, and to the servants 
who would be saved sweeping. The ascent 
for two stories was by an inclined plane, the 
only time I ever saw one on the interior in 
place of stairs. It seems very strange that cer- 



THE EMPIEE OF THE IMPERIAL ARMY. 67 

tain families in the different countries are set 
apart for riches and power. 

THE CATHEDRA T.T.KSS CITY. 

We took a ride around the "Nordbahn," which 
is a necessity to residents. Sometimes it was 
elevated, at others on a level, and at all times 
every joint could be counted and felt. Dogs 
were allowed with members of their family in 
first-class compartments. The views were 
changeable, — trees, houses, manufactures, rail- 
road crossings, bridges, gardens, parks, and the 
variety of city and country. The willingness 
of officials and employees to assist is as agree- 
able as it might be rare, but is not, and I take 
pleasure in recording here the universal cordiality 
and assistance at all times given to us by those 
with whom we were obliged to come in contact 
by all modes of travel. The electric cars run 
through the Thiergarten, past handsome houses, 
the Flora and the old palace, to Charlottenburg, 
and it is a delightful ride. A walk through the 
" Way of Honor " is entertaining by the ideal 
persons carved in white marble, all thought to 
be ancestors of the present emperor, and that 
may account for his versatility. The tall and 
imposing " Denkmal " is a tribute to those who 



68 A BOYAL JOURNEY. 

gave their lives for their country. How much 
better it might have been if they had lived in- 
stead of died for it. The shops on Sunday are 
closed in the morning in respect of the day, but 
some of them were opened in the afternoon. 
Russia has solved the question by being obliged 
to have one day of rest in seven, and as the 
majority keep Sunday that day has been selected. 
Like the Old-School Presbyterians, they com- 
mence on Saturday evening with their most 
elaborate service. 

Monday, the 10th of September. 

The ride from Berlin to Potsdam shows the 
wealth of the suburbs, and beyond thefn the 
cultivation of the soil by well-kept farms ; one 
had the striking surroundings of trees trimmed 
in fancy forms, — dogs, horses, camels, ele- 
phants, — so that there was no mistake while 
they were outlined against the sky as we 
flashed by them. 

Manufactories were plenty, and the prosperity 
of Germany is apparent. Women work in the 
fields, and so do occasional cows. The towns 
look flourishing, the railway stations are large, 
and the restaurants are well enough. A dis- 
tant view of the Harz Mountains changed the 
sky line from a valley level, and relieved the 



THE EMPIRE OF THE IMPERIAL ARMY. 69 

monotony, although the varying forestry was so 
pleasing as to prevent a view of sameness. 

Diisseldorf was reached in the evening, and 
its name calls to remembrance its art galleries 
and the flower beds and general appearance of 
culture. The ride to Cologne passed iron 
manufactories, which show the resources of the 
country. 

The cathedral is in view from the large and 
convenient station, and its two spires and Gothic 
architecture place it among the chief of these 
matchless buildings. And right here we start 
up the Rhine, a ride of history, tradition, and 
beauty. Castles in all stages of ruins, hills of 
all heights, open and closed vistas, and clus- 
tered villages, always with a spire. 

Before taking this ride, it was a vision ; after- 
ward was it a realization, or disappointment? 
For beauty alone it does not surpass the Hudson 
River, with its elegant residences, hills, and trees, 
towns even to Lake George. And its history in 
the war of the Revolution helped to give free- 
dom and a republic to civilization. So that in 
many ways a ride up the Hudson River is equal 
to a ride up the Rhine. (Q. E. D.) 

At Mayence I saw on a hotel an American 
flag, and upon inquiring about this rare occur- 



70 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

rence, found that a party of tourists was ex- 
pected. A welcome courtesy which I know 
will be received with cheers. From here we 
went down the Rhine to Bingen, celebrated in 
poetry and history. 

And it is a charming place, — markets in the 
open, a view of the hills and vines, and with a 
monument that seems to be of more account to 
the people than the scenery. 

Little steamers loaded with people come and 
go, and the variety of the whole scene is en- 
chanting. Among the flower beds I found the 
white-lined sphinx, the lo moth, and the Papilio 
troilus. 

Wednesday, the 12th of September. 

We left Bingen on the Rhine by an express 
train with a restaurant " wagon," which is a 
great convenience to Americans, though rather 
awkward to go and come from it at stations. 
The food was good and well served, and the 
ride was pleasant in every way. If any one 
has an idea of an ideal house-boat ride, he 
ought to take it in the canal along the line of 
this railroad. Miles of it were bordered with 
large trees, and it was as ornamental as a park. 
The boats are very long, and we passed them 
quite often, so that the traffic must be of ac- 



THE EMPIRE OF THE IMPERIAL ARMY. 71 

count, though I could never see with what they 
were loaded. 

The soil in many places showed traces of 
iron, the hillsides were covered with vines, ar- 
bors were covered and connected to trees by 
vines, and the effect was gratifying to the fly- 
ing passengers. The cars in stations are not 
shifted ; the trahis run into the sheds one way, 
and start out another, so that in the ride from 
Bingen to Paris we changed around five times. 
I cannot record that the cars are clean; even 
the first class in which we always traveled were 
neglected. When I think of the care and clean- 
ing, shaking of cushions, washing and polishing, 
such railroads as the New York Central and 
Boston & Albany give their passenger cars, 
starting them from terminals as clean as possi- 
ble, the accumulated dirt of foreign cars is in 
striking contrast. 

At Pagny Ave were made conscious of a bor- 
der state ; our carriage doors were opened, a 
guard came in and took our bags, and we fol- 
lowed him into a large room, where we are asked 
to declare, which we can always do with a nega- 
tive. For our trip is not for purchases, but for 
research and observation, and so far those have 
not been considered dutiable. Some passengers 



72 A EOYAL JOURNEY. 

open their bags ; but the officials have taken our 
word, and we have marched back again, having 
the exercise, and paying the guard for his cour- 
tesy in carrying the baggage. 



TEE NATION OF THE ROYAL REPUBLIC. 73 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE NATION OF THE EOYAL EEPUBLIC. 

Paris, Thursday, the 13th of September. 

Paris is in the throes of an exposition mth 
tourists from all over the world, and its desire 
to obtain from them all that is possible, as evi- 
denced by tariffs headed by " Exposition prices." 
To take in strangers and do them is not a no- 
blesse oblige motto for 1900, but it may be a 
financial success. 

The city is itself, with the addition, as seen 
from my windows, of the Exposition buildings, 
the captive balloons, and at night the lighted 
Tour and wheel. 

PARIS THE CITY OF THE GILDED DOME. 

Saturday, the loth of September. 
The entrance in front of the Hotel des Inva- 
lides is very ornate with some sublime totem 
poles ; and the Beaux Arts buildings are classic, 
and have the appearance of stability- The 
moving sidewalk is a convenience, though not 



74 A BOYAL JOURNEY. 

much patronized, desirable as it is for the 
diverse views. The exhibits, one can say in 
passing, are all in diverse places, with a French 
method. There are places of rare beauty and 
admiration, — for instance, the large fountain, 
the really grand and wonderful " Tour of 300 
metres," with an illusory Mont Blanc before 
us, and the globe of the world at one side, all 
make up a magnificent spectacle, including all 
the restaurants, with people eating and drink- 
ing. This Exposition of 1900 is characteristic 
of the city and nation. 

Sunday, the 16th of September. 

We went to Trinity Church to hear the or- 
ganist, and of course the service. The house 
was full of worshipers. In front was a foun- 
tain with the three statues which represent 
what " abideth," and the Charity of them was 
illustrated practically by seats on which were 
women with young children enjoying the air, 
sunshine, and flowers. 

The ride along the boulevards shows the 
people to be in harmony with the sidewalks, 
and the small trees are mostly sycamores. 
Transit is hampered, not only by the word 
complete but by the necessity of having a num- 



THE NATION OF THE EOYAL REPUBLIC. 75 

bered ticket when changing cars. Fancy New 
York under the discomfort of such arrange- 
ments. 

Monday., the 17th of September. 

A second visit to the Exposition included the 
National buildings, among which that of Italy 
is as pretty as a picture. It is a supposable 
case that they are all types, but what that of 
the United States may represent does not leave 
any impression ; it has a dome, which is always 
desirable. 

The largest telescope in the world is in 
the Optical building, — admission extra, thirty 
cents, — surrounded by ridiculous side-shows 
of optical delusions, and they detract from 
the dignity of the long tube. The largest loco- 
motive is in a cellar, and among great instru- 
ments of precision, which revolve noiselessly 
on stages. Huge cranes and other machines for 
heavy work show as much care and skill in 
manufacture as the finest watch. Man cannot 
see as far as birds and animals, but he can make 
instruments that bring thousands of miles in 
view. He cannot run like a deer, or fly like a 
bird, but he constructs locomotives that can 
outrun them. He cannot carry the weight of 
elephants, but he builds carriages in which they 



76 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

can ride. " What a piece of work is a man, — 
in comprehension how like a god ! " 

The weather is very warm, and nearly all the 
people who are in the grounds talk French, and 
wherever there is a crowd it is around a booth 
of souvenirs. The ride on the Seine gives a 
contrasting view of old Paris with the modern 
National buildings. 

Tuesday, the 18th of September. 

The objective point of our trip in 1900 is the 
International Railway Congress, which opens 
to-day with the registry of delegates from all the 
railways of the world. The men are fine-looking 
and intelligent, and in different manners, dress, 
and language show forth the character, ability, 
and personality that have sent them here to 
represent the greatest civilizer in the world — 
the railroad. It is commerce, manufacture, and 
agriculture. The first question asked or infor- 
mation given is, " How near is a railroad sta- 
tion ? " to any enterprise. Discussions in the 
different sections will develop diverse views, 
and from them will come the art of railroads. 

Many invitations are given, and the delegates 
choose according to their desire. Among them 
walk those with a red fez, — Japanese in Eng- 
lish attire, and I judge understanding French, — 



THE NATION OF THE ROYAL REPUBLIC. 77 

perhaps like natives of Japan as we do of the 
United States. For exhibition there are some 
large photographs of the giant locomotives and 
long freight and passenger trains, on perfect 
tracks in America, which seem to some of the 
delegates so imposing and powerful as to be 
almost impossible. 

Thursday, the 20th of September. 
In the world of the Louvre among the beau- 
ties with which dead hands and skilled brains 
have enriched the world for all time. That 
extensive palace with its contents is an artistic 
schoolhouse for all those who are gifted enough 
to attend. And as I noted the copyists, both 
male and female, I thought how strange it was 
to see them at work among those finished prod- 
ucts, with their eyes always on the pattern, 
absorbed and enjoying the evolution under their 
brushes from the inspiring subject. Painting 
and sculpture have that advantage over instru- 
mental and vocal music, though a voice may 
influence the unseen, as much as pictures and 
statues the visible eye. The world is ruled by 
the intangible, — shades of love and hate, am- 
bition, revenge, and the whole scale of emo- 
tion, diminished and augmented, flat and sharp. 



78 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

The charming work of Murillo was being 
copied, and it suggested to me the keeping of 
the feast of the Assumption in Vienna ; and in 
thirteen days after, the same day was observed 
in St. Petersburg according to the Russian 
calendar. 

THE INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY CONGRESS. SIXTH 
SESSION. 

Friday the 21st of September. 

In the Palais de Congress in the grounds of 
the Exposition at the morning session, Dr. 
P. H. Dudley, Reporter for the United States, 
" On the Nature of Metal for Rails," read the 
conclusions of his paper in French. A general 
discussion followed, and many delegates coin- 
cided with the reporter on the use of high 
grades of steel, in sections of stiff forms. 

The weather is pleasant, also the people in 
the Exposition grounds and buildings. The 
unceasing noise of the moving sidewalk and 
the electric cars do not at all compare in con- 
venience and entertainment of the rides on 
the intra-mural at Chicago in 1893. The cap- 
tive balloons rise and fall, also the lifts in the 
Tour Eiffel ; the fountains splash; and soon this 
Exposition, with its glare and glitter, illumina- 







Symbol of Esteem Between Two Republics, Pan's. 



THE NATION OF THE ROYAL REPUBLIC. 79 

tions, illusions and delusions, will be past, and 
history will record its proper place. 

The Swiss village is another extra, and has a 
restaurant. The Norway building has an ex- 
hibition of the midnight sun and a winter 
scene. Bicycles and automobiles nearly fill a 
large building. The exhibits from neighboring 
countries are of the best. Shrubbery and plants 
are labeled, and an evident effort has been 
made to have the affair attractive. The grounds 
are fairyland at night when illuminated; the 
wheel and the Tour and all the company of 
buildings, with flashlights and searchlights, and 
dazzling fountains, all make Aladdin's lamp 
merely a candle in the brilliancy of this century 
of electricity. 

Saturday, the SM of September. 

We took a boat and steamed up the Seine to 
the Quai Austerlitz to see the " Sud Express," 
which has a record of four hundred and eighty- 
nine and three-fourths miles in eight hours and 
fifty-nine minutes, including six stops, average 
speed fifty-four and thirteen-hundredths miles 
per hour. The train comes by an electric motor 
from the Station Quai d'Orsay, and at this 
place a steam locomotive is attached, with a 
pony truck, and a pair of trailing wheels behind 



80 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

two pairs of drivers. The train consisted of 
one small baggage, two " wagons lits," and a 
restaurant car, the four about one hundred and 
eighty feet in length, and a short trailing car 
for the guards. Total weight about one hun- 
dred and eighty tons. 

In comparison with its predecessor, the " Em- 
pire State Express," its four cars are three hun- 
dred and twenty feet, and total weight two 
hundred and forty tons. In contrast with the im- 
posing, well-kept engines of the Empire, this one 
on the Sud Express or Orleans Railway, had a 
brass instead of a Russia iron jacket, and was 
covered with oil and dirt. 

BELOW THE MADDING CROWD. 

We descended into the underground railway, 
and rode to one of its terminals. There are three 
cars in a train ; the first class had two compart- 
ments, one of them defended from fumeur, but 
not from the fumes in the tunnel and its disin- 
fectants. The white tiles looked bright and 
clean, and their beveled edges seemed to give 
more light. The stops at stations were less 
than a minute. The ride is not pleasant, but it 
may help to solve the problem of any kind of 
transit in cities ; though it must be annoying to 



THE NATION OF THE ROYAL REPUBLIC. 81 

see " complet " trains passing, as it would be 
easier to stand inside and go, than to be on the 
street corner waiting for a seat. 

Monday^ the 24th of September. 

The President of the Republic of France, like 
Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales in 
1895, appreciates the meeting of the Inter- 
national Railway Congress here at this time, 
and gave a reception to the delegates in the 
Elysee Palace. 

It was generally attended, and the gracious 
speeches exchanged showed the peace and good 
will that is the ultimate result of railroads. 
It is with pride that I record here that the 
American delegation consists of fine-looking 
gentlemen, of dignified carriage and agreeable 
manners. They honorably represent not only 
their respective railroads, but their Republic, and 
deserve in every way the recognition and com- 
mendation their ability has received ; they have 
been true to themselves and the industry and 
country they represent. 

Chantilly, Tuesday., the 25th of September. 
The officials of the railways of France gave to 
the Reporters, Delegates, and members of their 



82 A ROYAL JOURNEY. 

families an excursion to the forest and palace 
of Chantilly. Special trains were provided, 
and the voyagers were grouped in colors ; the 
first to arrive and start were guided by blue 
ribbons. It was an elderly game of "follow 
my leader," and quite convenient. Carriages 
were furnished for the ladies, the walk from 
the station to the park rather long, in conjunc- 
tion with the saunter through the avenues of 
trees and the tour of the palaces. There is a 
variety of evergreens, chestnuts, beeches, and 
large sycamores were trimmed to show long 
vistas with statuary and palaces in the dis- 
tance. 

It is an instructive thought that, in the years 
that have passed, men and women have been 
as appreciative of beauty and situation as those 
of to-day. The capabilities of land, water, and 
trees for effects in landscape gardening have 
been utilized to such an extent that we study 
and copy them for the benefit and instruction 
of new countries and ambitious cities. 

The charm of this park is indescribable. The 
trees, flowers, conventional beds of shades of 
green, like those at Vienna, the views from 
every point are of a quiet and restful beauty, 
entirely different from the brilliance of Yer- 



THE NATION OF THE ROYAL REPUBLIC. 83 

sailles and Peterhof. The palace is well filled 
with works of art, notably a Corot, Madonna, 
and Greuze among the old masters. Cabinets 
of china, furniture, statuary, and books are here 
for students to enjoy and copy. So that, as the 
centuries roll away, this land and property 
that may have been taken from the use of many 
people, has come to them again enriched by 
those who had the nine points of the law of 
possession. 

After following our leaders of many colors, 
we were entertained with a lunch under a 
large marquee — fruit and flowers, tea, Veau de 
citron^ etc. The American contingency present 
their sincere thanks for the entertainment so 
graciously and courteously given, and grate- 
fully received. 

Wednesday, the 26th of September. 

We went to the Railway Congress and after 
the session to the Exposition, and walked 
along the streets of old Paris, with a good view 
of the opposite modern buildings, and then 
went up to the Trocadero. From here, among 
the roses, over the bridge, the " Tour," the 
white ornate buildings, and the large fountain, 
the spectacle was dazzling and enchanting. 
The water dashed over the rocks and down the 



84 A BOYAL JOURNEY. 

stairs of the Trocadero ; bands and instruments 
could be heard near and far, and the people 
looked happy and contented. Those who were 
not at the World's Columbian Exposition did 
not know that this did not and could not, from 
its confined situation, at all equal the magnifi- 
cent white city on the banks of Lake Michi- 
gan. We took the " Trans-Siberian " trip, and 
rode in this traiyi de luxe by invitation of the 
company from Moscow to Irkutsk by optical 
delusion and illusion, which was arranged by 
three sets of motion of the panorama. My last 
view of the Exposition was flooded by sun- 
shine ; and the ride to our hotel passed the 
building with two American financial names. 

The machinery and railway exhibit at Vin- 
cennes consisted of types of permanent way 
of the French railways, locomotives, and cars 
from the Continental countries. The rails were 
heavier and stiffer than was thought necessary 
at the meeting of the International Railway 
Congress in London. 

The French locomotives were of the type of 
the " Sud Express," and those of the Continent 
were complicated in contrast to those on exhi- 
bition from the United States. 



TEE NATION OF THE ROYAL REPUBLIC. 85 

Wednesday Evening, the 26th of September. 

The officials of the railways of France gave 
a dinner to the Reporters and Delegates to the 
International Railway Congress, under a tent 
in the Tuileries Gardens, which had been erected 
for the entertainment of the Mayors. The Presi- 
dent, M. Loubet, made the speech of welcome, 
and the President of the Board of Public Works 
replied. The menu was good, including ten 
glasses at each cover. More important than 
this was the attention and appreciation given 
to the visitors from all the railways of the 
world. 

In entertaining two young ladies, they said 
they " could speak English but not American " ! ! 



A EOYAL JOURNEY. 



CHAPTER X. 

HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Thursday, the 27th of September. 

We left Paris on a pleasant morning, passing 
through Chantilly, where we had been so de- 
lightfully entertained ; and during our ride saw 
apple-trees, red cattle, and cultivated fields. 
The passage through the towns was always 
where they could not be seen, and trains could 
run at full speed through the stations. 

In leaving the Continent, the retrospect shows 
all the countries in their difference : vines and 
olives of Italy, hedges and gardens of England, 
forests of Germany, mountains of Switzerland, 
the waste lands and sparse towns of Russia ; 
so that it is easy to locate the landscapes as 
seen from car windows. At Calais the weather 
had changed: it was cooler, cloudy, and a 
prospect of rain, which was fulfilled by a rough 
and rainy passage. The passengers conducted 
themselves to correspond with the high waves 
and rolling ship, in short, they were sea-sick. 



HOMEWARD BOUND. 87 

The landing was almost perilous. The trip 
to London was delayed for hours, but the good 
hotel and dinner in the English language once 
more compensated for the discomforts. 

Friday, the 28th of September. 

We had never before stopped so far down 
town, and it was pleasant to walk on the 
embankment with all the surroundings of inter- 
est and history. A ride through Regent Street 
and Oxford Street and beyond, shows this large 
and active city, which is said to contain every- 
thing the world can furnish. The National 
Museum with its uncountable wealth and the 
monument make Trafalgar Square a noted 
place. 

One reason why it is easy to go alone through 
cities is, that they all have so many landmarks, 
like this in London, or Hyde Park Corner, the 
Admiralty in St. Petersburg, at one terminus 
of the Nevskoi Prospekt, the Unter den Linden 
in Berlin, the Via Corso in Rome, the Dome 
and Palace in Florence, the Notre Dame and 
Opera House in Paris, the Ring in Vienna, the 
Castle and Palace and Monument and Hill in 
Edinburgh, and the Rialto and Square of St. 
Mark's in Venice. 



88 A BOYAL JOURNEY. 

Friday, the 28th of September. 

We took the train at Waterloo Station for 
Southampton, and the scenery is pure and 
modern English. On arrival we heard that the 
steamship New York had cracked the thrust 
shaft of the propeller, and the hour of sailing 
was deferred. Saturday morning we saw the 
ship in the largest graving-dock in the world ; 
its opening we had witnessed in 1895. It 
looked very imposing nearly all exposed, and 
workmen were busy to make it ready for its 
voyage of a week, with a large passenger list, 
loads of mail, and all kinds of merchandise. 

In the afternoon we took an electric, and rode 
through an arch built by the Romans, past 
parks and pleasant looking homes. It is re- 
markable to see in nearly all countries the 
works and ruins of the Romans, and their his- 
tory when it was the mistress of the world, and 
they have left noble monuments of their skill 
and ability in church and state. 

Sunday, the 30th of September. 

We went to the Holy Rood Church, a gray 

stone building with the bells rung by iron men 

with clappers in their hands. The service was 

choral, and the sermon, on " Thy will be done," 



^^l 


JM 




!■■■ 


^^^^^ 










^ Si. 



HOMEWABD BOUND. 89 

evidently one of a series. We were given a 
front seat and enjoyed this last day on land. 
In the evening we were taken to the ship by a 
special train ; and as it rained, awnings were put 
up so that we walked dry-shod into our outside 
stateroom, ready for a week of life, or exis- 
tence rather, at sea. 

Monday, at six o'clock in the morning, the 
ship left the dock, and sailed across to Cher- 
bourg after the hundreds of passengers who had 
been waiting there for two days. They came 
on board from a lighter and then the New York 
started for its namesake city. A day or so of 
pleasant weather, and then there were storms 
and quite high winds enough to disturb many 
of the passengers. The library is well patro- 
nized and a great convenience, saving the 
carrying of books, which added to the require- 
ments of personal baggage, of rugs, waterproofs, 
oftentimes makes a formidable load. If the 
time and the steamship company ever ar- 
rive together, meals will be served by card, 
steamer chairs will be a part of the furniture of 
the ship. Why stop at them — why not re- 
quire beds, spoons, dishes, etc.? Suppose the 
parlor-car officials required passengers to take 
their chairs instead of providing luxurious seats 



90 A BOYAL JOUBNEY. 

as they do. Sea and foreign travel are hard 
enough with all the differences of language and 
habits without the ships of an American line 
at least, adopting methods more in accordance 
with modern and considerate ideas. 

The Purser read the service on Sunday, an 
offertory was taken, and everyone had the sat- 
isfied look of having done duty. The concert 
for some reason was not inflicted. Fog delayed, 
and everyone groaned in spirit to hear the horns 
blow. 

At last, Monday afternoon, the 8th of Octo- 
ber, we landed at the dock in New York, 
greeted and welcomed by my niece Anne and 
my nephews Bronson and Hubbard, whose smil- 
ing faces and cheering actions spoke to us that 
it was well with everybody and everything. 

The conclusion of the whole matter is that 
there is no better heritage than to be born, 
reared, and educated in the temperate zone of 
the United States of North America. 



JAN 26 m\ 



